From Sales to Developer: My Career Change Journey

At 30, I made a decision that would change my life: leaving my job as a store manager to become a web developer. Today I want to share this adventure — its challenges and successes.

Who Am I?

I'm Yann THOBENA, 34 years old. At 30 I left my position as store manager at a small welding equipment company in Toulouse. I had always been determined, but it took a long time to accept I had chosen the wrong path. It took even more courage to leave the stability of a job and go back to school.

Finding My New Path

I wanted a job that excited me every morning. I had always spent a lot of time on my PC, gaming, streaming — so why not turn this into a career?

That's when I discovered coding. I took a few HTML and CSS courses online and it felt like a revelation. Without any state financial support or severance package, I quit my job to start fresh.

const myCareerChange = () => {
  const passion = "web development";
  const courage = true;
 
  if (courage && passion) {
    return "New professional life";
  }
};

Training: A Risky but Rewarding Bet

I found O'Clock, an online coding school, passed their tests (including a motivation video — not easy!), and got accepted. For six months I followed an intensive bootcamp right in the middle of COVID and lockdown. I fell in love with coding and extended my training with 16 months of apprenticeship to earn my Software Developer degree.

Breaking Into the Industry

The hardest part? Finding a company. But in the end, the company found me — Marie from Ipanova reached out and I joined their team specialising in SAP ERP, Data, and custom web applications. My biggest challenge was imposter syndrome, even surrounded by supportive colleagues.

My Growth

Today I've built end-to-end applications and explored DevOps. I've mastered:

• UI/UX design with Figma 🎨
• Database architecture 🗄️
• Tech stack selection 🔍
• SEO optimisation 📈
• CI/CD deployment with Docker 🐳

Combining Development and Sales Background

My sales background deepened my knowledge in web marketing and SEO — skills I now apply at Ipanova. If you're thinking about switching careers, feel free to reach out. I love helping others take the leap. 🚀